Liviana Jones and the Chalice of Pentra
by Pikeru's Angel
Summary: Aurora was far from normal. An archaeologist and mythology lover at heart, she always had a sense of adventure. So when she runs off to seek that adventure, what does she find? Why, the latest in the Jones line of course! Rated K for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Aurora Bori Aleece (whose mother had an oddly twisted sense of humor) blushed deeply as she told her teacher her idea. Her short brown hair seemed to stick straight out with rage, and her sea green eyes blazed with fury. Call her a liar, a liar and raving mad! She's show him! As soon as she got the right connections, that is... Well, maybe she had them already, but she needed to find them first. Find and ask if they'd actually help. In truth, it was doubtful, but she had always been an optimist!

She stalked out of the room darkly, her _high school_ (because everyone knew that the fact it was high school made it that much worse because _they_ were supposed to be the smart, encouraging teacher's) teacher's words still ringing in her mind. _The Chalice of Pentra?! You do know that thing __**doesn't exist**__, right kid? God, you've gotta be kidding me. Or you're just… crazy. Could go either way with you I guess… _She was going to murder him. No matter how this turned out, Mr. Veck (not to be confused with Heck, as he told his new students every year) was going. To. Die. She just needed to figure out how.

And suddenly, she was happy about all the criminology she'd 'studied' (in a way) when she was ten. Thank you CSI, Cold Case and Bones!

Unfortunately for the rest of the general population within her vicinity, new and odd ways of murder/torture combinations did not brighten her mood for very long, and soon she took up glaring at every carbon based life form that had the misfortune of crossing her path. Due to her normally cheery and bright eyes, the other students seemed all the more shocked when they received the 'Glare of Doom' from quite possible the friendliest person some of them had ever met. Granted, certain social groups were more shocked than others, such as the Geeks and the Preps, but some seemed to take it for what it was; an evil glare that simply told you to get the hell away or you became a living punching bag. So, being offered the choice, these people wisely stayed away and let Aurora scowl and mutter silent curses on someone's life without asking questions or seeing if there was any way they could improve her mood. These people were few and far between, which just showed the average intelligence of the student body at that particular high school.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of telling people to get the things-that-not-be-written away before she literally reached down their throat and pulled out their vocal cords and put them in a jar for the whole world to see, she arrived at the one place where she knew everyone would understand: Room 221.

There was nothing particularly special about room 221. It was just your average school room where a good portion of the Chess Club meetings were held. It was also the meeting place of the official Archeology Club, which was exactly what made it so special. The meetings were held every Thursday, exactly three minutes after the final bell rang. Mr. Veck had, when the club originally started that is, gone to every single meeting and had actually been in charge of the club, as teachers usually were. He had quickly found out that the fine young adults who had started the club did not need supervision and that he was merely hindering the conversations, and that had ended his brief time there. No one seemed to care when he stopped attending.

This was why Aurora loved Room 221 with a passion. All of her closest friends were in the club, and they usually discussed more… mythological archeology than what a professor in a college might. They firmly believed that X, more often than not, marked the spot, and that 90% of the work must be spent _outside_ the library, not within. They also thought some research was necessary if you wanted to find whatever it was you were looking for, but fast reflexes could save your life. Meaningless to say they had all heard the name 'Indiana Jones' more than once in their respected household. Well, maybe one too many times.

Aurora let out a long sigh of relief as she entered the small room, a good portion of her agitation lifting from her shoulders. The small group of people that had arrived early (meaning two people excluding her) looked up abruptly at the noise from the globe map that was spread across the table, as per usual.

The eldest in the group –Maria, at age seventeen to be graduating later that year and founder of the club- stood up, placing a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. "What did Mr. V say?" She asked, sensing the still present loathing coming off the shorter girl in waves.

The other club member, a blond boy with calculating eyes, came over as well, his slender featured marred slightly in confusion and worry. "Yeah, Alaska," Aurora twitched involuntarily at the use of the nickname Noah had come up with for her. "What's up?" He stepped back a bit at the glare that quickly began to bore a hole in his chest where his heart was.

"It would seem Mr. Veck deemed me a trifle mad." Aurora grumbled miserably. She hated it when people thought of her as a mere child. She was fourteen going on fifteen for God's sake, not five! She was not a complete idiot!

Noah cringed while Maria began pacing the room, biting her nails as she did so. It was a nervous habit she had always said she got from her mother; Aurora thought that was a bunch of horse manure because said mother had always complained and said she looked like she should be in the nut house whenever she did it in front of her.

"So… What are you gonna do?" Noah asked, grey eyes scanning over his friend with a look of curiosity as well as scrutiny, something that they all deemed an incredibly good trait considering he wanted to be a detective once he graduated college.

Aurora spun sharply on her heel, eyes still ablaze. "I'm not going to be attending this meeting, and possible not even next weeks." She said, grabbing a black Fedora-like (though not quite) hat that had forever been placed on the coat rack beside the door and placing it firmly on her head. "I have a train to catch."


	2. Chapter 2

The bar was packed, people crowding around the center table where a drinking contest was being held and trying to place their bets before the final shot was drunk. Most, if not all, had their money on the burley fisherman who had yet to change out of his work clothes. The wise, however (which were few), had their money on the woman in the khaki pants and shirt with a pilot jacket on, a beaten up Fedora that had seen better days under her seat.

The woman took one of the final three shots off the table, chugging it down in one gulp before placing it face down on the table. She smiled smugly at the man, who now seemed to be having an increasingly hard time staying upright in his chair. In the crowd, people were starting to give their money to the wise, grumbling about how they'd been sure the older man was going to win. The outcome was obvious, and was only confirmed when the fisherman grabbed his glass, only to throw up to the side of the table, dropping the shot. The woman grabbed the final shot from the table, swallowing it with pride as she stood, not even appearing tipsy. Mutters followed her as she made her way up to the counter after taking the Fedora from under the chair, taking a seat on one of the stools. No one was surprised when all she ordered was water.

Too focused on giving up their money to the victors, no one noticed when the door opened. Nor did they notice when a clear high school student (because no one could look like that and be over twenty-one) walked up and took a seat next to the winner of the drinking contest. "I'll take a White Russian." The teen said, seeming more than a bit familiar with the drink. The woman beside her raised an eyebrow.

"How old are you, Kid?" She questioned. The girl waited until the barkeep was just out of earshot before answering, which confirmed her under twenty-one status.

"Sixteen, seventeen next month." She winked as she grabbed her newly placed drink, taking a sip. "Don't tell my mum I'm here." She snickered. The woman's other eyebrow arched up. Sixteen year olds not having any problem getting drinks at the local bar. What was this world coming to? Then again, the woman couldn't really say anything considering she'd had her first taste of vodka at that age, but still.

The girl finished off her drink quickly, placing a ten on the counter. She stood up, pressing her black almost-Fedora more firmly on her head. She smiled slightly at the older woman, who had been watching her the entire time. "I've been asking all the barkeeps around here this," So that wasn't even the kids first drink of the day. Assuming she'd had drinks at the other bars, that is. "But you wouldn't happen to know where I can find a Miss Jones, do ya? I've been lookin' all over for her." The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I do. Why d'ya need to talk to her?"

"I don't think that's any of your business. Do you know where she is or not?"

The woman scoffed. "Trust me, it's plenty my business. Now why do you need to talk to her?" She was standing now, daring the kid with her eyes not to answer. The girl didn't even flinch.

"I need some help finding something." Liviana smiled, sitting back down on the stool and spreading her arms out, her green eyes shining in an almost supernatural way.

"Lay it on me, Kid." The girls jaw dropped, and for a moment she just let it hang on the floor before pushing it back into place, her teeth clicking.

She grabbed a bag she seemed to have placed under the stool, taking something out hurridly before setting it on the counter. It was a box for a deck of cards, old and beaten, having seen better days. On the front was what appeared to be the Cross of Coronado. Liviana raised an eyebrow, dumping the cards into her hand and going through them. She was surprised at what was on them. All four suits, the diamonds seemingly biblical archeology (the Ark and Holy Grail included), hearts more supernatural things (Crystal Skull and Eldorado), clubs other religious artifacts (such as the Shakara stones), and the spades what you might find on a normal dig (pyramids and so on and so forth). There was only one Joker despite the standards of a normal deck. On it was what appeared to be a chalice, solid gold with five different colored stones. The words 'Chalice of Pentra' lay neatly underneath the drawing. In the place of the other Joker was a small, folded piece of paper which, in all likely hood, held the second Joker.

She let out a loud bark of laughter, slamming the cards down. "You've gotta be kidding me!" She said between laughs. "This is just fairytales and bedtime stories here!" The kid lowered her head with a deep blush, muttering something about teachers.

Liviana's laughed gradually died down and she looked up. "What was that?"

"You sound like my teacher, Mr. Veck." She said, before muttering, "_Wir sind gewohnt dass die Menschen verhohen was sie nicht verstehen_." (Of course, we know that men despise what they don't comprehend.) Liviana put the cards back in the deck box, sliding them over to the dark haired girl who, apparently, spoke German.

"Where'd you learn that?" She couldn't help but question, curious and not even noticing the teacher's name.

A shrug. "Sherlock Holmes 'The Sign of Four.' It's the second to last line in chapter six. I looked up pronunciation since the translation was already in the book." Liviana nodded. "Anyway, look at the note." She slid the deck back over. "I think you'll find it… interesting."

Liviana chuckled again, deciding to humor the girl. She took out the paper, unfolding it and placing the card face-down on the table. There wasn't anything on it, just a map. It was of China with several cities marked with either X's or O's. She looked up, trying not to burst out laughing again.

"Sorry," Livia said, trying not to laugh again. "But you've had a very good prank played on you." The girl bristled, eyes flashing with fury. If looks could kill…

She growled, eyes narrowing dangerously, grabbing the cards and stuffing them back in her bag. "You just wait." She muttered, getting up to leave. She slung the bag over her shoulder, walking towards the door.


End file.
